Where Home Is
by Withered Fleur
Summary: Amelia is a young, working, single mother trying to give her six year old son, Alfred, the very best. However, in the midst of juggling her job and studies, Alfred's teacher makes life more difficult for her than it already is. Fem!America/England AU.
1. Chapter 1

_4:30 pm_

The fact that Amelia had to leave work early irritated her. Not only would she have to work overtime the next day to make it up, she would also have no time to work on her studying. Juggling a job, online classes, and raising a child was not a good mix at all to her.

"Amelia, dear, you're going to be late if you keep trying to fix your hair."

Amelia's head shot up to see her mother, Rosa, behind her due to the mirror's reflection. She had stopped home to get herself ready for the meeting with her son's teacher at approximately five o'clock. Thoughts had consumed her mind; she didn't realize she had been trying to do her hair for a while.

She dropped her arms to her sides and looked at her mother as if trying to say, _'please help me.'_

Rosa giggled and moved closer behind her. "Don't fret, dear, it's nothing professional." She felt her hair being released from the awful attempt at a bun she had been trying to mend. Instead, her mother brushed through the blonde tufts of her hair gently and let it fall to her shoulders. "Leave it down, it's more mature looking."

Amelia let out an airy laugh. Her mother knew how Amelia always brought herself down for not looking mature enough. She let her hands play with her hair for a bit until she smiled and turned to her mother. "Thanks, mom."

"No worries, dear. You look like you're ready to lead a company now! Ha ha!"

Amelia sneered and walked out of the restroom to grab her bag. She rummaged through her bag, muttering necessary items that she would need.

"Mommy?"

Amelia glanced up, only to see her son, Alfred, right in front on her.

"Oh, Al, I'm going to see your teacher for a while. I'll be back around dinner, alright?"

Alfred cocked his head to the side, "You're going to see Mr. Kirkland?"

"Yeah, all of your friends' parents have to see him today."

"Why?"

Amelia smiled and giggled, she thought her son was playing those 'why?' games. "For the beginning of the year, I suppose."

Alfred smiled widely and laughed, "Why?"

It was her turn to laugh. In the midst of her laughter, she crouched down to her son's level and kissed his forehead. She stared at him for a few long seconds, smiling mischievously at him.

"Why? Well…" She suddenly grabbed his sides, "Because of this!" She picked him up and spun him around. Alfred was laughing and squealing, spreading his arms out to pretend he was an airplane. Amelia couldn't help but join in in his laughter and make 'whoosh!' noises as she moved him across the room. Even though her son was six and growing rapidly, she still played the games they did ever since he was younger.

"Amelia! You're going to be late!" She heard her mother yell from upstairs. Amelia gradually let herself stop laughing and lowered Alfred to the ground.

"Alright, grandma said no more fun and games. I gotta go." Alfred protested in response. Amelia ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead once more. "Listen to grandma and be a good boy while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay, I will!"

Amelia fixed her attire and fixed the placing of her bag on her shoulder. She smiled warmly at him and then headed for the door.

"I'll be back around dinner!" She exclaimed, also trying to convey the message to Rosa upstairs. She heard no response from her, but Alfred waved goodbye and said something inaudible to her as she closed the door behind her. She felt somewhat guilty for interrupting her son's farewell but she was going to be late if she kept doing more activities around the house.

She hoped this meeting wouldn't last long.

* * *

 _4:58 pm_

Her understanding of the parent-teacher conference was that all the parents were going to be in the meeting together in the same room. However, that wasn't the case. When she arrived, she had asked a woman waiting for clarification. The woman had a thick Russian accent but she was able to get the general idea of what she was trying to say. Apparently, each parent, or parents, was going to see Mr. Kirkland privately.

"How long do you think they will take?"

"Oh…ten minutes? Twenty? They go alphabetically by last name I think…"

' _Fucking great. A least Jones isn't last.'_

The Russian lady looked up at her once more, "What's your name?"

Amelia blinked, "Oh! Sorry, I'm Amelia Jones. My son's name is Alfred." She held out a hand for the Russian to shake, she responded with the action.

"I'm Anya Braginskaya. My son is Ivan Braginsky."

"It's very nice to meet you, Anya. Mind if I take a seat?"

"Please, go ahead." Amelia sat next to her, already taking a liking to this woman. So far she was the only other one that seemed fairly young. All the other parents looked to be around their late thirties or forties. The two sat in silence for a long moment, wondering if other parents were going to file in or if Mr. Kirkland was going to start calling in people.

Anya broke the silence and let out a short chuckle, "Husband couldn't make it?"

Amelia's heart stopped. She smiled sheepishly, not daring to look at her. "No, I'm not married…never was."

Anya let out a quiet gasp, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed!"

"No, no it's alright!" She looked back at her and smiled, trying to let her know it was alright. Anya laughed apprehensively.

"I was wondering. You look so young so I would've thought that you were."

That didn't make too much sense to Amelia, but she got the gist of it. "Heh, yeah I get that a lot…If you don't mind me asking, are you married?"

Anya rolled her eyes and released a short-lived laugh, "To a workaholic, yes. He didn't even want to come and I said 'no one wants to come but we have to!"

Amelia laughed in reply, "Don't we all?"

The Russian beamed and nodded. She was about to respond until Mr. Kirkland came out of his classroom. Amelia glanced at her phone to check the time.

 _5:03 pm_

She really shouldn't have been surprised. Alfred's kindergarten teacher last year was late as well. However, Miss Vargas, was a kind lady and apologized profusely to the parents last year for even being a minute late. She even allowed to have all the parents in one room for the conference so they would all return home for dinner on time. Amelia adored her, not just because of that one time, but how Alfred would explain what he did every day in her class. He learned so much because of her. She seemed ditzy but was very intelligent, at least in Amelia's opinion.

Amelia took a good look at Mr. Kirkland. He seemed rather tall, and somewhat lanky. His clothes seemed to fit him nicely but that fact that he was so skinny bothered her. His blond hair looked unkempt but neat at the same time. However, the features that stood out most to her were his vivid green eyes and thick eyebrows.

"God, my son wasn't lying when his eyebrows looked like caterpillars," Anya whispered to Amelia. She snickered loudly, trying hard to not laugh aloud. Anya covered her mouth, trying just as hard as Amelia.

"Mrs. Braginskaya?"

' _Wait, he's British?'_

The Russian grabbed her bag and smiled at Amelia. She quietly gasped again and rummaged through her bag. She handed her a business card. "We'll keep in touch, yes?"

Amelia took the business card, "Of course."

She nodded and headed towards the classroom, exchanging greetings with the teacher. Immediately she felt alone when Anya disappeared into the classroom. She still felt a bit shocked that her son's teacher is British.

A few moments later, she read Anya's business card. She was a home realtor. On the card listed all her ways of contact and the address of her office. She pursed her lips, she certainly wasn't moving anytime soon but at least she'll keep in contact with her.

It didn't seem long until Anya came out of the classroom. As she walked she placed a stack of papers in her bag and quickly waved goodbye to Amelia. She waved back and continued to wait for her turn. She looked her phone.

 _5:15 pm_

' _Huh, didn't seem too long.'_

However, it seemed forever until it got to her turn. In the meantime, she played a few games of her phone and checked her email a couple of times. An email from her boss reminded her that she would have to work overtime tomorrow. She sighed heavily; she was not excited to be filing papers and answering calls all day tomorrow.

"Miss Jones?"

' _Finallyyyy'_

She got up from her chair and swung her bag around her shoulders. She made her way to the classroom and shook his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Jones. Please take a seat inside."

"Thank you."

She walked inside, letting her eyes wander around the room. Typical elementary school designs adorned the walls such as the alphabet, class rules, art, and numbers. It reminded her of her days in grade school which didn't seem too long ago now that she was thinking about it. The classroom was very small though, she wondered how many kids he had to teach.

She took her seat in front of his desk and placed her bag beside her. Mr. Kirkland took his seat as well and organized a few papers that he eventually gave to her.

"I have to say, Miss Jones, your son, Alfred, is a very bright student," he said, smiling lightly. It was more of a polite smile, at least in Amelia's perspective.

She nodded. She knew her son was smart and she was delighted to hear that even in the first few days of school he made a good impression. Alfred was rambunctious but he certainly can make himself memorable.

"Although," Mr. Kirkland paused and looked straight towards Amelia for the first time, "he doesn't…really get along well with a few classmates."

Amelia paused. She had to admit, him looking at her like that made her nervous. The more she looked at him, the more attractive he was.

' _God Amelia, he's probably married annnd he's your son's teacher. Pull yourself together.'_

She rubbed her right arm due to her apprehension and finally asked, "Who doesn't he get along with?"

She could have sworn he looked briefly at her left hand but he cleared his throat and focused his attention on her. "Well, um, there's only a few but they do cause a distraction. You may not know them but I'm sure your son has talked about them before. There's Kiku Honda and most importantly Ivan Branginsky."

' _Anya's son?'_

"What does Alfred do?"

"Alfred does tease Kiku a lot. Kiku tends to ignore it but it's affecting him. With Alfred and Ivan, it doesn't get physical…but they are the ones fighting," Mr. Kirkland explained.

She couldn't help but feel down. She hit it off with Anya really well and, just her luck, their sons were the main ones fighting each other. She was definitely going to talk to Alfred about this when she gets home. She bit her lip and briefly looked at the papers and then back at him, "Is there anything I can do? Or what can be done?"

He hummed in thought, letting his hand rub his chin. "Well, there certainly are consequences if this does keep happening. You are aware of the check policy, yes?"

She nodded then sighed, "Very much aware."

To her experience, if students are marked down three times for actions such as being tardy, cheating, not listening, fighting, and other misdemeanors, it will result in detention and a call home depending on the transgressions. Alfred had only got two checks back in kindergarten but only for small things. Amelia was now afraid that if this continued, he would get detention in the beginning of the school year.

"I haven't issued any yet, since it's just the beginning of the year. But I suggest talking to him because honestly I know this will only continue," he explained, "I've also talked to Ivan's mother. She's aware of this as well so hopefully Alfred and Ivan will not get any checks."

Amelia was a bit relieved by this, she asked, "Do Kiku's parents know about this too?"

"Yes. However, there isn't much they can do. Well because you know…"

She nodded, "That's understandable."

There was a pause until he pointed her hand at the papers. Arthur shook his head as if he were in a trance and cleared his throat. "Oh, yes, my apologies. Since it's the beginning of the year, there's more paperwork for you as if you haven't had enough."

Amelia laughed; papers after papers she had to fill out just to get Alfred into school. The papers from Mr. Kirkland looked simple enough. They seemed to ask what Alfred was like and if he had any conditions. She shuffled through the papers and nodded to say she understood. "When are they due?"

"Next week, not a major rush."

She nodded once more and placed the papers in her bag. She looked back at him and smiled, "Is there anything else I should know?"

Mr. Kirkland didn't answer right away but moved slightly as if he was thinking of something else. "Uh, no…no that should be it. Just, uh, talk to Alfred and fill out the paperwork and things should be well."

Amelia beamed, "Thank you, Mr. Kirkland."

"My pleasure, Miss Jones. Have a good evening."

"You too," She said as she got up from her chair. She took her leave and looked back him, sheepishly waving. He stared back at her and held a hand up as a goodbye. She wanted to smack herself on the head once she got out of eyesight.

' _God Amelia, snap out of it.'_

She quickly got out of the school and practically ran to her car to try to run away from her embarrassment. He probably thought she was a ditzy blonde.

' _He probably looked at my left hand to see if I was actually married. Oh my god, he probably knows I'm too young to have a kid and thought I'm a whore. Oh my fucking god this is mortifying.'_

She paused and then proceeded to start her car.

' _Just drive to get your mind off of things. Think of your son and his education…and dinner. Yeah. Nothing to worry about, Amelia.'_

* * *

When she arrived home, it was six thirty. She arrived just in time for dinner. She had to admit, driving did not get her mind off of things. Her head pained her from thinking too much and all she wanted to do was eat and go to sleep.

She opened the front door and was immediately greeted by her son running towards her yelling, "Mommy!"

He clung to her legs and she leaned down to embrace him and then picked him up. "Hey, how's my little hero doing?" She pecked him on the nose and smiled at him. He never failed to make her smile like an idiot.

She closed the door behind her with her foot. Alfred laughed while she waddled in her high heels, trying to support Alfred's weight. "I was a good boy!"

"That's great, Al. Eat dinner yet?"

He shook his head, "Grandma said it should be done in a few minutes."

"Perfect, I'm hungry." She placed Alfred down and placed her bag on the chair. She turned to Alfred, "Oh Alfred, after dinner I need to talk to you. Not in trouble, just need to talk."

Alfred still looked worried. He was about to say something until her mother called for dinner.

* * *

"Amelia, how did the meeting go?" was the first question her mother asked at the dinner table.

Amelia moved her food around with her fork, "Mr. Kirkland said Alfred is a very good student." She grinned at her son when she said this, making Alfred smile a toothy grin in return. "Hey there buddy, chew your food first."

Both Amelia and her mother laughed.

"That's good. How is Mr. Kirkland though?"

"Gosh you wouldn't believe it, mom, he's British, or well English to be exact, but he has eyebrows that literally look like caterpillars!" Amelia exclaimed. Her mother laughed, she had been born in England as well and moved to the U.S. because of her husband, Amelia's father, decades ago.

"Ho ho! Is this true Alfred?"

Alfred nodded, "Yeah! Me and Kiku think his eyebrows will turn into butterflies one day!"

Amelia and her mother went hysterical. Alfred joined in, covering his mouth to keep food from flying out. Amelia slammed her hand on the table and stared right into Alfred's eyes while laughing, "Pffft don't choke there buddy!"

Eventually they all calmed down and went back to eating. Amelia briefly mentioned she had paperwork to do and couldn't pick up Alfred after school the next day. Usually the school would send Alfred to after school day care once class ended for the day. Amelia explained she had to work overtime and that Rosa would have to pick Alfred up.

"That's fine. I suppose you'll get your own dinner tomorrow then?"

"Yeah. I'll be back around eight or nine. Who knows?"

Rosa made a noise of affirmation. Dinner eventually ended. Rosa took their plates, knowing Amelia had to talk to Alfred. The boy, knowing that his punishment was imminent, tried to sneak away.

"Uh uh uh, Al. Sit across from me. This will only take a bit."

Alfred reluctantly took his seat and fiddled with his thumbs. There was a silence for one long moment until she inhaled sharply.

"Mr. Kirkland told me you get into fights with Kiku and Ivan."

"I don't start any of them-"

"Al, listen to me. It's the beginning of the year and I'm already worried," she reached for Alfred's hands across the table, wanting to hold them. Alfred took her hands. He looked ashamed, she wrapped her hands around his small ones.

"Al," she started, "if they start fights with you, you tell Mr. Kirkland, okay? I don't want you to get into trouble."

He looked down at the ground. "But they'll call me a tattle tale…"

She gave a tiny smile, "Al, trust me, telling people that someone did something wrong will do good later in life. I don't want you or any of your friends to get into trouble, is that understandable?"

Alfred nodded solemnly. She squeezed his hands. "I'm not mad, Al. I'm just…worried. You're a great, smart kid, don't forget it."

"Okay, mom." She let him go. He got off the chair and Amelia soon followed. She embraced him and kissed him on the forehead.

"Love you."

"Love you too, mom."

* * *

She knew Alfred had lied when he said he didn't start the fights. She gave him the benefit of the doubt, for just this time. She trusted him and knowing that the other parents would talk to Kiku and Ivan relieved her. Maybe, just maybe this year will turn out just right.

Amelia glanced at her alarm clock. Ten thirty. She wanted to sleep early since she had to wake up early tomorrow for work, but she needed to fit in her studies. Her online classes were demanding.

' _Only for thirty minutes. Then I'll sleep.'_

She brought up some study guides online and briefly read them. After five minutes she decided not to study and instead just look online.

It wasn't long until she thought of Mr. Kirkland again. She forgot about him for four hours and she still wanted to punch herself for being so embarrassing during the meeting. She smacked the sides of her head in attempt to get rid of the thoughts. She shook herself out of her thoughts and typed into Google: _Mr. Kirkland teacher Boston_

She wondered why she was doing this or what even compelled her. She guessed she wanted to know his first name at least, maybe his age. Maybe everything. She felt like she was an actual stalker.

She pressed enter and thousands of results came up. She clicked the first one leading to a directory of the number of Kirklands in Boston. She scrolled down the list until she came to one possible candidate.

 **Arthur Kirkland**

 **Age:** 30 **Location:** Boston, MA

She went on to Facebook, having the impression that he might as well have one if his general info is floating online. She typed his name in the search bar and lo and behold, the most recognizable face on earth.

From looking at his information he was most definitely thirty years old, his first name was Arthur, he was born in London, and graduated from University of Oxford.

 _'Shiiiitt'_

She wondered why an Oxford graduate was teaching first graders in the U.S. It baffled her. She thought this guy might as well be the next Prime Minister. Curious, she look at the family and relationships tab, thinking _'why the fuck not?'_

 _Single_

' _Holy shit, are you serious?'_

She laughed to herself, mainly out of shock. This guy couldn't be single. He's handsome, he's smart, and he's English. Women, even men, should be after him; at least in her opinion.

She meant to click the home button to exit. However, horror struck when she clicked the dreaded button.

 _Friend Request Sent_

"...shit."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Amelia - Fem!America

Alfred - America

Rosa - Fem!England

Arthur - England

Anya - Fem!Russia

Ivan - Russia

Kiku - Japan


	2. Chapter 2

Ever since the dubbed tragic accident, also known to her as 'her imminent death', Amelia had been checking her facebook constantly. One, to see if he accepted it, to which she would shrivel up and die, or two, try to find a way to delete her sent friend request somehow.

She arrived at work relatively early that morning in hopes to somehow not work overtime. Yet she still had to admit to herself that that would not happen. She clocked in and took her seat at the reception desk, greeting other co-workers as they passed by to start work for the day.

" _Ahem_."

She jumped at the sound of her co-worker clearing his throat, she completely forgot about him. "Matt! Sorry, I didn't see ya there. Mornin'!"

"Hah, as usual," Matthew said, "Good mornin' though."

Amelia gave a sheepish smile to him as a form on an apology. It wasn't just her that would always forget he was there; everyone including their boss, Mr. Beilschmidt, would fail to notice him until he spoke up. Matthew was a fairly new intern and Amelia was his advisor at the desk. She remembered when she first met him. She had no clue on why he would apply for an internship at a police station in Boston of all places. Either way, she supported him and was surprised on how quickly he warmed up to her for the past few months.

She suddenly remembered what she had to ask him and shifted towards her co-worker, "Oh wait, Matt. I have a huuuuuge favor to ask of you."

He sighed quietly in protest, "For the last time, I'm not getting up to get you coffee-"

"Fuck."

Matthew glared at her.

"Okay no seriously, this is important."

"Hm?"

She rummaged through her bag to find her phone. Once it was found, she opened the Facebook app and presented it to him. "How do you delete a friend request on Facebook?"

He stared at the screen not seeing the issue she was having. "You just click delete request," he said matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, like, a sent friend request. Like you accidentally sent one and you want to cancel it before they notice."

"Give me your phone." She did so. Even though it was invasive to her privacy, she really didn't mind it was Matthew going through her phone. He wasn't the type to question the things she did with her life or judge her actions. However, she did wonder if Matthew kept to himself. She always thought he was secretly judging her.

A moment later, he spoke up, "…It's Arthur Kirkland right?"

"Yeah."

"He accepted it."

At that moment, her entire body came to a halt. This was worst mistake she had ever made in her short, pitiful existence. The thought that it was her son's teacher accepted her friend request shortly after meeting her only once made her want to fall into a pit and stay there until the end.

"…what?" She asked in disbelief. Snatching her phone from his hands, she looked to see for herself. Sure enough, Arthur Kirkland, her son's teacher, had accepted her friend request. She thought she had to be dreaming, or having a nightmare. All she could do at that moment was to stare at her screen and whisper profanity.

"I'm guessing this is a bad thing?" Matthew asked.

Immediately, she answered, "Yes, oh my fucking god this is _embarrassing_." She can never face him again without thinking about this tragedy. Anyone at this moment could say she was overreacting. She felt that she was, but the fact that she might see him again frightened her. Mr. Kirkland already seemed intimidating enough.

Matthew seemed to ignore Amelia's current meltdown. He rubbed his chin and turned his chair towards to filing cabinet. He muttered as he rummaged through the files, "His name rings a bell and it's bothering me now."

What Matthew had said didn't matter to her, in fact, she didn't bother to listen. Her mind was in a scurry to find solutions to make it seem like this debacle never happened. She thought she could just delete him in a few days or weeks.

' _But…he would probably notice. Fuck.'_

The shrill of the desk phone brought her back to her senses. Within seconds, she heard Matthew behind her slam the filing cabinet shut and turn swiftly in his chair in attempt to answer the phone. She had just noticed that he was rummaging through the files. Confused, she turned to him to ask but he had answered the call.

Shortly after the call ended, he noticed Amelia staring at him in a questioning way. "What?"

"You were looking through the files."

"Am I not allowed to?" He appeared hesitant while saying that. Amelia quickly glanced around to see if their co-workers were looking. Fortunately, they were all wrapped in their work and hadn't bothered to glance at them. She leaned towards Matthew.

She then bit her lip. He could only glimpse through the files with her permission and if it was necessary. He was only an intern which limited his duties compared to her.

Amelia brought her voice down low so others wouldn't hear, "Well, uh, yeah, but luckily you have me so I'll let it slide. But why were ya looking through?"

He hesitated. He seemed relieved that she wouldn't say anything but appeared to not want to say the reason. Matthew explained, "Kirkland. It just seems familiar to me. I don't exactly know why, but…it just does…sorry, by the way."

Amelia let out a quiet, nervous laugh. She knew he wasn't telling a lie but his reasoning gradually alarmed her. She lightly patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "Just be careful next time, Matt. Don't want anyone to catch ya doing that without a good excuse. We can both get in trouble."

He nodded in affirmation and soon the both of them returned to their duties. Amelia couldn't get her mind off of Mr. Kirkland, or Arthur in that matter. She didn't know why the name was so familiar to Matthew but not to her. She desperately wanted to look through the files and see if his suspicions were correct, but she didn't want to know the truth either. She slowly began to realize she might be afraid of Arthur Kirkland. He was too mysterious.

She thought she must be overreacting again. She doubted the fact that he could possibly have the potential to be 'bad' or involved with the police in any way at all.

* * *

 **Mom:** _can u make a quick run to the store and pick up some milk on ur way home? Sorry_

 _Received at 8:32 pm_

 **Me:** _yeah no prob_

 _Read at 8:45 pm_

Heaving a sigh, she started to drive her way to the nearest supermarket. She only wanted to go home and catch up on her studies for once. She wondered why her mother didn't do so earlier while Alfred was at school, it would have made their lives easier.

Fortunately to her, the local supermarket was not too far from her work and home. She would just run in, buy some milk, and leave. She figured it would only take about five minutes at the most. She parked near to the entrance and got out. Not many people would be shopping for groceries this late at night, to which Amelia found pleasant. No lines and barely any people, she would be home within minutes.

She grabbed what she needed and found out that only one check-out line was open, with a short line of people accompanying it. She shrugged and thought to might as well wait. She started to wait in line, checking her phone during the wait.

"Miss Jones?"

She nearly dropped the gallon of milk and her phone at the sound and pronunciation of her name. _'Oh shit.'_

"Oh, Mr. Kirkland! I, uh, didn't see ya there, haha." She wanted to disappear at that very moment. He was the last person she wanted to see, especially at this hour. Her makeup had worn off and her stray hairs were all over the place. She shoved her phone in her pocket and let her free hand brush through her hair to at least fix her appearance.

"Neither did I," Arthur then beamed and held out a hand, "Please, just call me Arthur, by the way. No formalities are needed here."

She shook his hand and realized that her hand was just in her hair. She felt her face flush from embarrassment, this man was too daunting. Much more than her own boss who was the sheriff of Boston and that was saying something. Matthew's words from earlier echoed through her mind, all she could see was Arthur Kirkland, not anyone involved with the police in any way.

"Then, uh, call me Amelia. It'll make your life easier."

Arthur snickered at her comment. "I'm sure it will, Amelia."

The way he said her name made her want to melt. If she thought him saying Miss Jones was too much, then him saying Amelia just broke the charts. He was too handsome, too polite, and too mysterious. She wondered in that short moment of silence if she was actually falling for him even though they barely knew each other.

"Sir? Sorry to interrupt."

Arthur looked back to the cashier and had realized that he was next to purchase, "Oh, sorry."

Amelia peeked at what he was buying, essential, mundane items such as sugar, flour, eggs, and others. One item stood out to her. Small, light blue, flowers that Amelia remembered all too well. Her mood changed swiftly from nervousness to dejectedness. She found herself staring and brushed away her crestfallen expression. Arthur turned to her and smiled warmly.

"Nice seeing you, Amelia."

She couldn't help but to smile back, "Yeah, you too."

He nodded and waved before he turned to leave. She couldn't stop staring at the flowers that he was carrying. They stood out blatantly to her, making her want to weep.

* * *

"Thank you so much, dear. Sorry I had to tell you last minute." Her mother took the bag of milk and brought it to the kitchen. Amelia made a sound within her throat in affirmation. She was overly exhausted and threw herself on the couch. She didn't want to talk or do anything; she didn't want to get up.

Rosa came back with two mugs in both of her hands and placed one near her daughter. Amelia wanted to drink her mother's tea. She stretched her arm out in attempt to grab it, which in response made Rosa laugh. "Oh don't be lazy, Amelia."

She groaned and sat up, her hands shaking as she picked it up and took a few sips. The hot water seared the top of her mouth, making her scrunch her face up. She placed it back on the counter and covered herself with a blanket.

"You sound exhausted."

"Mhm."

There was a short silence that accompanied them. Rosa broke the silence by asking, "Anything wrong?"

Amelia shifted under the blanket and mumbled, "The flowers."

"The what?"

She threw the blanket off of her head and said more clearly, "Forget me nots. Mr. Kirkland had them."

She saw her mother's expression, very much perplexed by her daughter's words. However, she appeared to understand the level of the situation at hand shortly after her confusion. Amelia concealed herself with the blanket once more, finding some solace in it. She felt like a teenager again when she starting to cry underneath the warm comfort of the bedspread.

"Oh Amelia…I'm sorry…" She felt her mother rub her side gently in attempt to comfort her. Amelia didn't want to remember, she felt small and vulnerable again. The man she once loved was in those flowers, the ones he would give to her every time they were in bloom. The ones that reminded her of the days when all was well and there were no worries.

She never wanted to see them again when he left.

Suddenly, her mother stopped her comforting touch. "Alfred?"

Amelia stopped and sniffled quietly. She gently pulled the blanket off of her and patted her eyes, her eye makeup smeared for sure. She didn't want Alfred knowing she was crying just now. She briefly glanced at her mother to take action.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah…is mommy okay?" Hearing Alfred's voice made her feel ashamed. She could hear Rosa come up from her spot near her and move towards Alfred.

"She's very tired. Do you need anything?" Their voices soon turned to quiet murmurs once Amelia tuned them out. She just wanted to sleep and forget.

But she could never forget when her son always reminded her of her first love. He sounded like him, looked like him, and resembled him so much. She could never forget.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Matthew - Canada

Thank you so much for the support so far! Things will get clearer as the story progresses.


	3. Chapter 3

_Wednesday, 6:10 pm_

Arthur Kirkland sat at his desk, having spent hours going over the papers his students had turned in that day. He started regretting asking so much from the parents since all of them went into full detail about such trivial things from their children's favorite subject to them bragging about their children's achievements. However, it didn't really bother him that much. He enjoyed learning about each of his students' interests, hobbies and what they aspired to be. What did bother him was how the parents wrote them; it was as if they were writing a university application.

As a fast reader, he was able to take information quickly as possible and able to comprehend. It had taken him hours just because of seating charts and how to get his students' full attention and interests, judging from their aspirations. Usually, he would lose track of time since he would be so immersed in his work.

 _Knock knock_

Glancing at the clock, he didn't realize it was past six o'clock already. The door opened without his approval, revealing a fellow co-worker of his. Elizabeta Edelstein was a young woman who worked at the after school daycare. She came in with just a few steps and closed the door behind her. She smiled yet looked riled. Stray, brunette hairs had escaped from her braid and her eyes drooped due to exhaustion.

Arthur gave a meek smile in return, knowing the look on her face. "I know. I was just about to leave," he said, in the midst of stacking papers.

Eliza crossed her arms against her chest and leaned against the wall, trying not to ruin the artwork behind her. She watched him at first, neatly organizing papers and his desk. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she asked, "Need a ride home?"

He glanced at her and made a hand motion as if to wave her off. "No. Thank you, though."

She paused once more, pursing her lips, until she finally said, "Come on, Arthur, you always stay late here. You're making us worry."

He sensed her tension right after she said that. He could see that she hadn't meant to sound so irritated, but he knew she meant well. Yet, he shifted his focus towards his desk to avoid looking at her. "I know. Please, don't worry. I'm fine," he said quickly.

Eliza let out a soft sigh of defeat.

"…Alright," She said quietly. She opened the door by a crack and then added, "Y'know…if you need anything, my husband and some of the other after school counselors are still here."

"Okay. Thank you, Eliza."

"Get home soon." Even though she meant well, he didn't want her to always be on his case. He did tell her just seconds ago that he was going to leave soon.

"I will."

With that, the door closed behind her. Arthur ran his hand through his hair and let out a long, exasperated sigh. Sometimes, he compared her to the kindergarten teacher, Miss Vargas. Both were kind, intelligent, young women but can easily get on anyone's nerves within seconds. In fact, he hated whenever Eliza would mention he was making others worry by staying late. He didn't care nor was it their problem.

Arthur took a deep breath in order to calm himself; then resumed to finish up. He went for the papers too quickly and nearly knocked over the small vase of blue flowers on his desk. His hand raced to grab it and then gently placed it to where it belonged, next to a picture of a young girl. A picture of a girl no older than five, vibrant, dark blue eyes, and long strawberry blonde hair. He picked up the picture frame, staring at her for a long while, longingly.

' _You're making us worry.'_

He could remember her high pitched laugh, her cheerful, toothy grin, nearly everything about her. She would never fail to make him smile and laugh loudly, even when he was at his worst.

Looking up at the ceiling, he tried to get back to his senses. He knew he couldn't be in memory lane forever. He stared at the girl once more, before he would leave.

' _Get home soon.'_

"Please, soon."

* * *

 _Thursday, 6:30 pm_

"I hate sitting in the front," Alfred complained.

"Hate's a strong word, don't ya think?" Amelia said, while chewing. Her mother, Rosa, gently nudged her. Amelia rolled her eyes. She knew her mother wanted her to set an example for Alfred, such as not talking while chewing.

Alfred sighed, "Sorry. I mean I really really _dislike_ sitting in the front." He made sure to put emphasis on the word 'dislike', in attempt to please his mother. She gave him a thumbs up, knowing that her mother would probably punch her in the arm if she spoke while chewing.

After she swallowed she asked, "Why don't you like it?"

Alfred moved his peas with his fork, letting his head rest on his other hand. "I just don't. I can see fine sitting in the back."

She pursed her lips. She knew Alfred's eyesight was not that great. However, she couldn't afford to buy him glasses. Ever since last year, she would beg teachers to let Alfred sit in the front, even if he loathed it. She remembered that she wrote repeatedly to Arthur, in the papers she had to fill out, to force Alfred to sit in the front.

"It's for the best. Plus, it's not so bad."

"But he's gonna make me answer questions."

"He's gonna ask you questions because he knows you're smart, Al. Not because you sit in the front." She felt her mother nudge her again to remind her that she was talking with her mouth full. Alfred let out a dramatic sigh. Hearing him sigh made Amelia wither. When Alfred was troubled she was at a loss on what to do. All of a sudden, she felt dejected.

Trying to change the topic, Amelia announced, "I'll clean up after dinner." She proceeded to get up from her seat, plate in hand, and headed towards the kitchen. She needed to be alone.

* * *

Amelia took up the chore to wash the dishes after dinner, instead of her mother doing it. She heard Rosa lead Alfred to his room but couldn't make out what they were saying. Few moments later, she could hear her mother coming back and take a seat nearby the counter. Not wanting to speak a word to her, Amelia made herself look occupied with cleaning the dishes.

Truthfully, Amelia dreaded talking to her mother at the moment. She didn't realize her expression pointed out that she was disgruntled since her mother asked, "Amelia, I know it's a bit late to ask but are you feeling alright?"

She paused and stared out through the window in front of her for a few long seconds. She didn't feel alright at all. Inside, she could start to feel herself deteriorating. She inhaled sharply. "…I'm okay."

"Ever since that night a few days ago, I'm just…worried." Rosa paused and then added, "I know around this time of the year, things are hard but-"

"I'm okay, mom," Amelia said firmly. She resumed cleaning the dishes, trying to take her mind off of things and to avoid continuing this conversation. She did not want her mother to bring up the flowers dilemma, it still haunted her mind.

Rosa's words consumed her mind. 'This time of year' rang repeatedly through her head. It was just September now and she can only count down to the days when everything started to go down all the years ago. In attempt to change the conversation, Amelia announced, "I'm, uh, gonna take the day off on the first. Y'know…to pay respects to dad. I just need to talk to my boss."

"You don't have to, Amelia."

"I want to," Amelia quickly interrupted. She hadn't realized that she was viciously scrubbing one plate, she almost broke it. She caught herself and stopped her chore. She let out a drawn out, distressed sigh, and placed her hands firmly on the edge of the sink. Her head was throbbing, she was thinking too much but she couldn't stop. Suddenly, she thought of Alfred.

"I need to spend more time with Al too…" She gently said. She could feel Rosa adjusting her seat, as if to tell her she was uncomfortable. Amelia continued, "I just…I just feel like I'm a terrible mother. I had Al so young and I expected y'know once I get older I'll know what to do. I'll be better at being a mom. But I still don't." Amelia's voice was wavering. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Every time he asks about his father and when he'll come home I want to tell him the truth. I really do, mom, I really do. But how can I tell a six year old that his father will never come back and he never got to live to see the day that his son was born?" Her voice had escalated in volume towards the end, enough for the entire house to hear what she was explaining.

Rosa made a hand motion to tell her to quiet down. Amelia caught on and muttered profanity, worried that Alfred could've heard. Her head fell to her hands. Her sniffles and sighs were muffled. She remained silent for a long moment. She expected her mother to stay silent in moments like these, initially because her mother preferred to listen until the end.

Everything was coming all at once and she couldn't bring herself to stop. Words escaped from her lips, words of how she truly felt.

"…I don't know what to do. I'm a terrible mother and Alfred doesn't have a dad. I'm relying on you too much when I should be the one that Alfred should rely on. I barely even see him anymore because of work and school. No man wants a woman who has another man's child either! God!" She slammed her fist against the edge of the sink, causing plates and cups to tremor. Hot tears seeped down her cheeks, her cheeks burned red, and she nearly fell to her knees.

Immediately, Rosa got up from her seat and took her side next to Amelia. She gently placed her hand on her shoulder and insisted, "Look at me, Amelia." She did as she was told and showed her face, eyes red and puffy.

"…Amelia, you're not a terrible mother. You're not the best either, no one is, but you're doing everything you can. You're working and getting paid. You're in school to further your studies. Amelia, honey, you're doing everything you can to help him." Amelia opened her mouth to interrupt but Rosa only continued.

"You're a strong woman, Amelia." Rosa then smiled tenderly and continued, "I remember when you gave birth to Alfred. You were only sixteen, still in high school, and you chose to keep him. You told me you wanted to give him the world. Amelia, he's incredibly lucky to have you; a beautiful, determined mother who will do anything for her son to be happy. You're not terrible at all."

Amelia had no idea how to respond. All she could do was try to catch her breath from her sobbing. Rosa embraced her, letting her hand brush through her hair softly. Once Amelia calmed down, Rosa added, "and that's not true, Amelia, there are definitely men who won't care if Alfred is from another man. Any man who thinks that it does matter is not right for you,"

There were so many things she wanted to protest against but all she could do was to swallow hard and try not to cry again. She wiped her eyes, not caring if eye makeup was smeared on her face and arm. She sniffled loudly and mustered out, "Thank you, mom…"

Her throat felt raw and she could tell without looking that her eyes were red and puffy. Alfred could not see her like this at all, not again. Her breath came back to a steady rhythm, she still felt numb. "I just…I just…I'm deathly afraid of him asking about his father," Amelia admitted. "What do I even say? Soon, he's gonna have to know."

Rosa bit her lip; it was truly a difficult question. She looked into her daughter's eyes and said, "The time will come."

Amelia's eyes narrowed, baffled by her mother's idea. She released herself from her mother's embrace and questioned, "So I just keep lying to him?"

"The time will come, Amelia. You'll know when it's right."

"Mom, that doesn't make any sense. I can't just lie to him!" Amelia exclaimed. To her, this was genuinely absurd. Her mother had just explained just how great of a mother she was and now she was expected to lie to her own son. She intended to protest but chose to give her mother the benefit of the doubt.

"I promise you, the time will come and you'll know when it's right," Rosa said, implying to end the conversation. She gave a small peck on Amelia's cheek and said, "I love you. Get some rest, honey."

Amelia hummed in response and waited for her mother to come out of earshot. She stood still, staring out the window once more. While she did feel she calmed down, her head still throbbed. Sighing heavily, she decided to leave the kitchen and say goodnight to her son before she would retire to bed.

* * *

 _Friday, 2:45 pm_

Arthur was relieved it was a Friday. His students had finished up necessary classwork for the day and there was time for one more activity. He asked the students to draw a picture of their family, express their imagination. He'd done this activity for a few years, always in the beginning of the year, just to get an idea of what their family was like.

Students cheered and were passed out paper. Table groups shared crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Many of the students chattered as they drew; others focused deeply. He leisurely strode around them, making sure to see if his students were doing their assignment. He saw students with moms and dads, some with two moms or two dads, one parent, a pet dog or cat, siblings, grandparents, and extended families; all of them expressed in different vibrant colors.

It intrigued him. While he would admit many of the students were not the greatest of artists, the creativity they put in it made him want to smile. He would stop by each table and ask them a few questions of their family life. They would babble on about their families and tell mini stories.

He finally made his way towards the front of the room, accompanied by Alfred, Ivan, and Michelle. He wondered if the two boys sitting nearby each other was a good idea, he hoped their parents wouldn't get upset if they were sitting at the same table. So far they've been on good terms; no problems whatsoever.

He asked the students at the table who was in their pictures. One of the students, Michelle, beamed. She had a mother and a father, no siblings. She pointed to a fish bowl she drew. He believed he heard she had ten different fish and listed their names enthusiastically. Arthur couldn't remember any of them since she spoke incredibly fast. Ivan explained that he also had a mother and a father, but two sisters as well. His older sister was in middle school while his other sister was in kindergarten.

However, Arthur would admit Alfred's story was most enthralling. Alfred claimed he lived with his mother and grandmother, no siblings and no pets. He expected Alfred to stop there but what he said next stained his mind.

"Mom says I have a dad, but she says he's away."

"Away?" He questioned.

"She always says he's in a better place. I want to know where that is but she'll never tell me."

Arthur felt his stomach drop. Amelia meant that Alfred's father is _dead_. He felt like he just learned Amelia's darkest secret from her son who knew nothing about his own father. Michelle and Ivan remained silent, both looking down at their drawings. Arthur could tell the two knew exactly what that phrase meant just by their expressions. However, he couldn't tell if he was frightened by the fact that Alfred was _completely_ clueless or that he just learned something he wasn't supposed to know.

Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Maybe someday you'll know."

"I hope so."

Attempting to change the topic, he complimented on their drawings and told them that they could keep them to show to their families. The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Most of the students would either say goodbye or leave without any word.

Alfred was one of the latter students. When the door opened, he saw Amelia waiting for Alfred. The boy ran up to her and embraced her legs. She swiftly picked him up and laughed stridently, Alfred had the same laugh. He could vaguely hear their conversation, roughly along the lines of her having the day off and going out somewhere. Alfred cheered in reply.

She placed him back on his feet, and brushed off her attire. Alfred presented her the drawing he created. Amelia gently took the paper from him and beamed. She ruffled his hair and complimented on his artwork.

Arthur couldn't help but feel miserable. The two looked so joyful but Amelia hid so much from him and the rest of the world, and Alfred was ill-informed of his surroundings and past. That's what made him feel so downhearted, he knew about this without them knowing.

He locked eye contact with Amelia. She appeared stunned initially since he was staring at her, but she smiled and waved, Alfred followed suit. Arthur nearly had a heart attack. He was staring at her this _whole time._ He waved back with a sheepish smile.

The two left, hand in hand. From a distance, he could hear Alfred drone about his day until they were out of his earshot. He got up and closed the door to his classroom. He slapped his forehead and groaned. How was he ever going to face Amelia knowing what he shouldn't have known about her so soon?

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for the support so far! It means a lot.

There is more Arthur/Amelia interaction next chapter so don't worry.


	4. Chapter 4

_Friday, 6: 10 pm_

"Seriously, Arthur?"

He wasn't even surprised when Eliza came to check on him. It's been a daily occurrence for nearly a year from how he counted. The woman really frustrated him but he knew she did it just to make sure he was okay.

Arthur swiveled his chair towards her with his arms folded. He smirked, "Like what you see?"

Clearly, Eliza was not impressed. Her expression didn't change for a few long moments. She broke the silence, "Arthur, come on. _Go home_."

He threw his head back against his chair and twirled around in his chair. He heard Eliza sigh exasperatedly as he twirled. What he didn't notice was her walking up towards his desk and abruptly stopped his chair from spinning. He glanced up at the woman and huffed.

She stared at him for a few moments until she quietly said, "God, you need a drink."

Arthur nearly jolted in his chair, "Excuse me?"

"Look at yourself." She placed her hands on his chin, gently feeling it. He saw her eyes narrow as she examined the rest of his facial features. "You're scruffy and you're getting bags under your eyes. Come on, get buzzed and go home. It's the weekend."

"Most certainly not," Arthur retorted. "I, uh, need to grade papers."

Eliza folded her arms and stayed silent for a moment. "Arthur," she started, "That is the worst lie you've ever told me."

"I-"

Eliza interrupted him, "I've heard all your excuses for basically a year. Unless your mother's dying, go out with me, Daisy, Gilbert, and Ludwig. Come on, you need to at least get your social life back together."

He heaved a sigh, mainly due to defeat. He knew sometimes Eliza wouldn't give up. "Fine. But I'm not getting drunk. I need to drive home." he said, turning his chair towards his desk to spiff up his desk to make it look presentable.

"I'll drive ya. Just as long as we go in your car," Eliza suggested.

Arthur stopped momentarily to glance at her in confusion, "Wait, why not-"

"Roderich needs to drive home and plus he hates going out with my gang," she explained. Suddenly, she stared at him as if scanning him. Arthur sunk a bit in his chair, not liking that look she was giving him. Eliza snorted and remarked, "You're kinda turning into him, y'know."

Arthur rolled his eyes. He lost count on how many times he was compared to the school's principal over the few years he's been teaching here. He snatched his car keys off his desk and stood up in front of Eliza. "When are we leaving?"

"Now. Lock up the classroom, we're going," Eliza demanded. Arthur thought as much. He followed her out the door and put on his coat as they were walking towards his car.

Eliza turned her head to him, eyes bright and her smile mischievous. Arthur nearly stopped in his tracks of the sudden look, she scared him sometimes. Eliza laughed and said, "Oh, and it's all on me. I've been wanting to treat ya for a while."

Arthur smiled widely.

* * *

 _Friday, 6: 35 pm_

When he first stepped inside the restaurant, he realized he hasn't been out for several months. He thought to thank Eliza later since he knew how much she wanted him to socialize. She did a lot for him and he greatly appreciated it.

However, he couldn't help but feel small. The loud clashing of silverware and plates, laughter and chatter, and muffled music resonated within the restaurant. So loud, he could barely hear the hostess tell them the other guests were at the table already. Eliza patted his arm and he nearly jumped from the touch. She laughed and led the way.

Arthur noticed the restaurant was too dim for its own good. _'How do people read their menus or anything here?'_

"Hey, guess who decided to show up!" If there was a countdown to how many times he jumped when someone talked to him, this was surely a point. Everyone Eliza had mentioned earlier were at the table. Daisy Vargas, the kindergarten teacher, waved enthusiastically at him. However, her other arm was wrapped around the Sheriff's arm, Ludwig Beilschmidt. The sheriff's brother, Gilbert, smiled smugly at him and patted him on the back.

Arthur took his seat and said, "More like forced."

Daisy giggled and exclaimed, "Arthur! You're alive!"

"Yes, Daisy. I'm alive."

Eliza had taken her seat and let her eyes wander around the bustling restaurant. "Busy tonight, eh?"

"Psh, yeah," Gilbert scoffed and took a swig of his beer. Arthur scrunched his nose. Was he already going to get drunk? He had to admit he felt uncomfortable around Eliza's group of friends. Gilbert wiped his mouth with his arm and queried, "Hey, Lud, how did you get out early?"

"My deputy is taking cover for the night. Most of my workers have a day off today too. Only one receptionist is on duty today," Ludwig explained. Arthur saw Daisy draw a circle on his right arm with her finger. He knew that the two were dating but he honestly hoped that they would keep the public display of affection down to a certain level.

Eliza was the next to ask, "Oh which one? Amelia?"

"No, she has the day off. I keep forgetting his name but he's a Canadian student working as an intern."

Gilbert snickered, "Good luck to that kid. Being a receptionist is shitty."

When he heard Amelia, his attention was at a new level. Sure he paid attention to the useless banter the others were giving, but he found himself wanting to know more. He didn't know that Ludwig was Amelia's boss.

"Amelia? Jones?" All attention was pointed towards him now.

"Yeah, you know her?" Gilbert asked.

"I teach her son, Alfred." Suddenly, the memories from earlier came rushing back to him. He found himself regretting assigning that activity. After he and Amelia left, he wondered how Amelia even found herself in that position with him. It was so troubling to him. How could she keep that information from him? His head started to throb. He needed to drink.

Daisy sighed blissfully, her head leaning against Ludwig's shoulder now. "Gosh, Alfred is growing so fast. Can you believe it?"

Arthur noticed Ludwig forming a small smile. He said, "You're telling me. I knew Amelia since she was in high school."

Now Arthur was most definitely interested. "Oh?"

"When she got pregnant, she was looking desperately for a job. Her father used to be my deputy so I took her in. She was sixteen at the time so I didn't have much to offer except for her to type some documents and hang fliers around. Now she's a receptionist training to be an officer," Ludwig explained. Arthur found himself wanting to know more, there was so much to this woman but he felt unnerving getting it from other people she knew. He really only talked to her twice.

Gilbert whistled, "Wow, tough kid." A waitress stopped at their table, giving them their drinks and a basket of bread. Arthur realized he would have to order soon. He was so enthralled in the information being given he didn't notice that he was actually hungry. He looked at his glass, he guessed it was bourbon. He shrugged to himself and took a sip. Honestly, he hated bourbon but it was better than nothing.

Ludwig continued after a while, "She definitely went through a lot. I'm surprised she kept Alfred. I've seen a lot of pregnant teens get abortions or end up putting their kids for adoption."

Daisy nodded and gave her infamous warm smile, "That's why I like Amelia so much, she does everything for Alfred." Suddenly, she shot up from her position and eyed everyone at the table. She looked to Eliza and asked, "God, does she have a boyfriend now? She's gotta have one."

Eliza pursed her lips. Ludwig answered nonchalantly, "Not that I heard of."

Eliza's hands smacked the table, causing the glasses of alcohol to shake. Arthur nearly jumped in surprise, once again. "Whhaaattt. The girl's hot! I would take her on a date or two!" She exclaimed.

Gilbert narrowed her eyes at her, "Eliza, you're married."

"Gil, I have eyes and attraction for the ladies sometimes."

"Wait till Rod gets a load of this."

"Oh, he knows."

Gilbert rolled his eyes and took another swig of beer. He slammed the drink down and replied, "You two are so weird."

Arthur almost didn't realize Daisy beckoning for his attention when she asked, "Arthur, how's little Al doing in class? He was a tough but fun one for me."

He paused, unsure on what to say about the boy. He only had him for a few weeks. Not to mention he was still trying to memorize everyone's names in the class. "I…really can't say right now," He hesitated, "He's very energetic I can give him that."

"He's literally a spitting image of his mother. I would be convinced if Amelia just did one of those test tube babies or something," Eliza jested, laughing loudly. Arthur nodded in agreement, the two looked identical.

"I know right?" Daisy giggled. She turned to Gilbert and enquired, "Hey Gil, how's getting back into the dating life going?"

The albino rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, "Ugh, don't remind me. No one's great or even close to awesome. Boston is dry as hell."

Arthur noticed that Eliza looked somewhat offended from his statement. "There's plenty of strapping young men here! Just gotta keep trying y'know?"

"I thought the same thing until I found Luddy!" Daisy chirped.

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Gilbert muttered.

The banter seized when the waitress came to take their order. None of them had chosen what to eat and decided they would order later. Arthur could live on the bread if he had to, or that's what he decided at the moment. The bourbon was keeping him filled somewhat. The waitress had left, letting them have time to order.

"Hey, Arthur," Gilbert started, "Haven't you thought about getting a girlfriend or boyfriend, whichever way ya swing, lately?"

Arthur was taken aback. He admitted he was expecting that question after Gilbert himself was asked. In fact, he was dreading the question. Instantly, Amelia came to mind. He shook his head. He couldn't be thinking this right now! He scratched the back of his neck and tried not to hesitate in reply, "N-No, not really. I've been busy."

Eliza slammed down her glass. Arthur was losing count on how many times Eliza was scaring him half to death. She exclaimed and pointed at him, "To hell with that, you're a first grade teacher for Christ's sake!"

He noticed that she was starting to get drunk from her tone of voice. But he cried, "Hey, little kids are hard to manage!"

"Well, he's right on that," Daisy replied quietly, as if it were only words Ludwig was supposed to hear.

Eliza lightly punched Arthur in the arm, stared at him, and stated, "You should at least get yourself cleaned up and go on a few dates. You're becoming a hermit."

"Eliza, is right. For once," Gilbert said, laughing lightly when Eliza was glaring at him. He waved dismissively at her, "Kidding. But hey Lud, got any free chicks at your place?"

Arthur found himself narrowing his eyes at him. He knew exactly where Gilbert was going with this and he didn't like it one bit. He felt the tips of his ears warm up.

Ludwig furrowed his eyebrows. "I need my workers, Gil. You remember the last time you tried to hit on the Canadian receptionist."

"Oh come on! He was cute!" he cried.

"Amelia nearly ripped your head off," Ludwig said firmly. Arthur chuckled at the mental image he was getting. He didn't know this Canadian receptionist but the thought of Amelia attempting to murder Gilbert was quite hilarious. Ludwig sighed noisily and responded, "Yes there are a few single women and men but I have no time for them to get off duty."

Eliza arched an eyebrow and scoffed, "Wow, claiming them to yourself? That's a bit selfish don't ya think?"

"They're my best workers!" Ludwig bellowed.

After Ludwig's outburst, all eyes turned to Arthur. Oh right, he had to give a response. He gulped and managed to say, "I have no interest right now in dating. Especially with the school year in session."

Eliza suddenly slapped her hand on his shoulder and looked at him dead in the eye. Arthur gasped in horror from the sudden gesture. God, this woman was scaring him too many times tonight. She said, "Arthur, do you know how many dates you can have? You're British, not to mention attractive as hell, and you're in Boston, Massachusetts. You're also pretty young. I've heard some of the ladies at the school and mothers endlessly talk about you and it's getting fucking annoying and way into detail so please get a date or God so help me."

Arthur felt his face heat up. Women were talking about him? And in very suggestive ways too? He felt extremely uncomfortable at the moment, more so now than earlier.

"And ya had a kid-"

Eliza gasped, causing everyone at the table to stop. "Gil!"

"I'm just saying, men with experience with kids is a plus for the ladies."

Arthur didn't exactly know what to think at that moment. Yes, he was very embarrassed but he felt his heart drop to his feet when Gilbert had mentioned kids. He didn't notice himself tense up.

"Gil, that's really insensitive," Eliza scolded him. She turned back to Arthur, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She quietly apologized, "I'm sorry, Arthur."

He knew the man didn't mean it in the way Eliza had thought. He rubbed his head, in attempt to get rid of the rushing memories and thoughts.

"No, it's alright. But I'm just not interested at the moment." He stood from his seat and announced, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Honestly, he wanted to go home.

* * *

 _Friday, 7:15 pm_

The group hesitantly resumed their chatter, attempting to change the subject. They believed Arthur would be alright and would be back in a few moments.

Gilbert opened his mouth to speak until he turned behind him and said, "Oh hey speak of the devil, Amelia and company is here."

All eyes turned to the family of three heading for the exit. Daisy shot up from her chair and exclaimed, "Amelia!"

Fortunately, the three stopped nearby their table. Alfred piped up, Rosa smiled politely, and Amelia had the widest smile plastered on her face

"Oh, hey!"

"We were just talking about you and Alfred!" Daisy exclaimed. She headed towards the child and leaned herself down to Alfred's level. She exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, Alfred! Did you grow a whole foot over the summer?"

Alfred laughed, the noise filling the restaurant with blissful feeling. "I don't know!" Daisy laughed loudly in response and ruffled the boy's hair.

Rosa tapped her daughter's shoulder and quietly said, "Amelia? We'll be waiting in the car."

She nodded in reply. She gently patted her son's head, signaling him to follow his grandmother. "Mkay. Be there in a few," She said to her family. She turned to face the group, "Damn, I did not expect to see y'all here. Not even my boss."

"Neither did we," Eliza replied, taking a sip of water. She noticed at drunk she was getting and decided to just stick with water. She cleared her throat and said, "Arthur's here too, but he's powdering his nose."

Amelia's attention was caught. She folded her arms and leaned in a bit. She let out an airy laugh and said, "Heh, I see him everywhere now."

"Really?"

"Well, I'm over exaggerating. I've only seen him a few times but he's just popping up everywhere now," she explained.

Eliza smiled smugly, "Didn't you friend him on facebook earlier?"

Amelia snorted and looked away as if she were embarrassed, "Haha, by complete accident! I'm… surprised he accepted it."

Gilbert looked dazed the entire conversation but suddenly joined in, "That reminds me. Amelia do you have a boyfriend?"

Amelia nearly jolted from the question. "No, but-" she gasped loudly when she realized, "Gil, I thought you were gay! First Matthew and now me?"

Gilbert was taken aback, completely not expecting that answer. "Aw fuck no, not me. If you were a dude, maybe." Amelia squinted at him, befuddled. He waved a hand dismissively at her, "Whatever, but we're trying to get Arthur a date."

Amelia was not expecting all these surprises. She could only manage to loudly whisper, "What?"

"He's literally becoming a hermit," Eliza added, "I mean we're not forcing you. You have a kid and all-"

"No."

Everyone looked towards Ludwig, stunned from his blatant response.

"Lud?" Gilbert questioned.

"She's my best receptionist. I need her."

"Lud, it's only like one date if she agrees," Gilbert whined, "What are you? Her dad?"

Amelia pursed her lips as the two brothers were arguing. She broke the bickering when she managed to reply, "Well, uh, if Arthur is okay with it, sure?"

Eliza blinked at her, sensing her apprehension. "You sound forced."

She shook her head. "Well no, it's just sudden is all. Also he's Alfred's teacher so…but I guess one date wouldn't hurt." She looked away, biting her lip. She glanced at her phone and then at them. "Anyway, I gotta get home. Let me know if something happens?" She questioned.

"Sure thing! See ya later Amelia!" Daisy chirped, as if trying to get rid of the uneasiness. Amelia waved goodbye to them and headed towards the exit.

Ludwig turned from his seat and shouted, "Remember, work bright and early in the morning!"

She stopped and turned to them and rolled her eyes. "Heh, don't I know it, Boss. Night! Oh, and tell Arthur I said hi!" She exclaimed, before exiting the restaurant for good that night.

* * *

 _Friday, 7:30 pm_

He had lost track of time in the restroom. He didn't really need to go. He just needed to be away from them. He couldn't handle this much social interaction in one night, let alone in just under an hour. After about what he deemed to be ten minutes, he left the area and headed back to the table. He felt all eyes stare at him, as if they had something dire to tell him. He felt his heart quicken.

As he sat down, Gilbert slammed his hands on the table as if trying to excite him. It actually made him jump in shock. "You wouldn't believe what just happened, Art."

"What?" He asked, feeling his heart quicken a mile per second.

He held up his hands defensively and explained, "Don't flip out, but I think we got you a date."

If Arthur was drinking at the moment, he would have spat his drink out. Instead he sputtered in surprise and he swore he felt his heart stop for a moment. "A what?! With who?"

"A date and this is the fun part. Amelia," Gilbert then smiled smugly, liking how he was getting a rise out of Arthur. He added, "Also she said hi."

The Briton let his head fall to his right hand, unsure of what to exactly feel besides horror and shock. "…You're bloody shitting me," He muttered to himself. He looked to them and said, "I did not ask for this. Oh god I have so many questions."

Eliza had been chugging down her water until she slammed the glass down and explained, "Well after you left, Amelia and her family were leaving. So we called her over and asked if she had a boyfriend. She said no and we asked if she wanted to go on a date with you. She seemed she was okay with it, as long as you were. So we need an answer."

"I…what…"Arthur couldn't comprehend what was being said to him. A date? A date with Amelia? Amelia Jones? Alfred's mother? He grabbed his head with both of his hands and asked in disbelief, "Am I drunk?"

Gilbert examined him and said, "You barely had a glass. But looks like ya need more."

Daisy was practically jumping in her chair, she placed her hands towards him and begged, "Arthur! Just one date? Pleeasseee?"

Gilbert patted the Briton's shoulder, "Come onnn, give it a go."

"You better not keep her out for too long, she's my best receptionist," Ludwig said darkly.

"Luddy!" Daisy exclaimed in mock disbelief.

Arthur knew he wasn't going to win this round. Truthfully, he wanted to get to know Amelia more but he actually wanted to do it on his own and not with the help of friends. He heaved a sigh and proclaimed, "Okay, fine. I'll go."

"Yes!" Eliza slammed her fist on the table and then fist pumped. Arthur wondered how much energy this woman had.

Gilbert smiled haughtily at Arthur and said, "You probably just got the hottest chick in Boston, Art. Be proud."

"And my best receptionist-"

"Lud, shut the fuck up," Gilbert bemoaned.

Eliza mocked tearing up, "I'm so proud, my Arthur is finally getting out of his cave!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Eliza, please." He was slowly beginning to accept that he was going on a date with Amelia, his student's mother, until he actually didn't know the details. "When is it?" He queried.

Eliza contemplated in thought for a moment, "Mmm, a week from now maybe? I know she has Fridays off. So maybe after you're done teaching?"

"I think a nice café would be good for a first date, hm? I know a couple of good ones!" Daisy piped.

Arthur nodded in agreement, "I suppose."

"Perfect! Let me just text Amelia."

Arthur blinked at the Italian woman. "Daisy, you have her number?"

"Oh si! We became great friends just a year ago!" Of course, that made sense to him. Daisy was Alfred's kindergarten teacher, no wonder she had some sort of relationship with Amelia. Just a few seconds later, she sang, "Sent!"

Arthur let his hand run through his hair. "I can't believe I'm getting myself into this."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Eliza laughed in reply, "We need some more drinks here. We need a toast to Arthur."

Arthur sneered, "Oh please, you're all embarrassing."

"It's because we love you," Eliza said, nudging him. He still felt very much embarrassed. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit elated. Maybe change is needed and so far he was beginning to enjoy it.

"Oh! She replied," Daisy announced.

"That quickly?" Arthur rhetorically asked.

She gasped, a bright smile pressed on her lips. "She said yes! Oh wait…She's typing more." The whole table felt like they were waiting for a sports team to win a point, tense, all eyes on the prize, and not daring to tear their eyes away.

Daisy looked up to the group and said, "She just needs to be home at eight to get Al ready for bed."

Gilbert fell into his chair and sneered, "What is this, middle school?"

Eliza rolled her eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Gil, she's a working mother and graduated high school years ago."

"I'm kiddin'." Arthur could sense Gilbert getting irritated from Eliza, as if he wasn't already. The albino looked towards him and smiled proudly, "Art, you got yourself a hot chick and a responsible lady if I do say so."

"Oh do shut up."

* * *

 _Friday, 10: 45 pm_

Dinner had turned into a blur. Arthur decided to not eat or drink too much and just join in the casual banter. After they paid, with Eliza insisting there should be separate checks so she can pay for Arthur's meal, Arthur noticed she got much too drunk and helped her to the car. He was glad he decided to stay sober so he can drive the both of them home.

The car ride was quiet, mainly because he thought the woman's head would be throbbing in pain from the consumption of too much alcohol. He vaguely remembered where the woman lived, since he was invited to a few holiday dinners in the past. He remembered why he hated going out so much.

He hated Boston traffic.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what went down tonight," Eliza muttered. He almost didn't hear her since he was concentrating on the road.

"It's alright. I'm fine with it," He replied. He would admit he did feel embarrassed but in the end, he came to appreciate it. He had fun and he would do it again. But he didn't feel the need to say it to her, especially since she was incredibly drunk.

"You sure? You know you can be honest with me," She probed.

"No, I mean it was just sudden is all. To tell the truth, I am somewhat interested in her and I guess I just needed some motivation," Arthur explained. He realized a second later he might have said too much. Too late. He guessed she wouldn't really remember anyway.

He could see from the corner of his eye that she smiled serenely. "Oh, you'll love her. I know she's the type for you," she said softly, her hand clumsily placed on his shoulder. He chuckled a bit, shaking her hand off. He was glad to have her as a friend, despite how rambunctious she was. The smile fell when she said, "Also, I'm sorry about Gil."

"What about him?" He asked.

Eliza looked at him, distrait. "You know…about what he said about you and kids…"

Oh. Arthur did feel distraught from the reminder. His hands unconsciously tightened around the wheel. Fortunately, he instantly noticed and eased himself. He didn't want her to notice and he didn't want to remember. "Oh, it's quite alright. You know how boisterous he is," He lied.

"I mean, I know he was trying to prove something but-"

"He didn't mean it that way. It's really alright," He interrupted her. He honestly wanted to drop the subject. In attempt to change it, he added, "You do need to stop worrying about me all the time."

"I can't help it," She said quietly. She looked out her window and pointed to her house. Arthur made a sound if affirmation and pulled into the driveway. He looked to her, signaling her that she was home. He was about to ask if she needed help until she muttered, "I just hope we find her."

Arthur remained still. He felt bothered, heated, and tense. He absolutely despised it. He knew it wasn't her fault or the fault of anyone he knew. He didn't like to remember after he went so long almost forgetting and feeling numb to the pain. It felt like hours until she whispered loudly, "Fuck, I'm sorry."

He patted her arm and unbuckled himself. Eliza did too, finally noticing the signal. She stumbled out of the car, luckily falling into his arms. He helped her walk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He knew Roderich would be reading at this hour. The door soon opened, revealing Roderich clad in nightclothes.

"She's very drunk, but she made it in one piece," Arthur said, handing the drunken woman to him. Roderich took her in his arms and thanked Arthur. Before he left, Eliza held up a hand.

"Get some rest. Also, Arthur?"

Arthur looked at her in question, "Hm?"

She placed her hand on his chin, her hand lazily feeling the stubby hair. She giggled and said in a higher than normal voice, "Shave your goddamn face."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the long wait! I'm glad I got out a longer than usual chapter actually to make up for the absence. I've been so busy with college touring and other school things. I almost found no time to work on this! Thank you for all the support so far! It really does mean a lot.

Daisy - Fem!Italy

Ludwig - Germany

Gilbert - Prussia

Roderich - Austria


	5. Chapter 5

_Saturday, 8:30 am_

Rosa admitted to herself long ago she was never a morning person. Every morning she had the toughest time getting out of bed, making herself look decent, have a cup of tea or two, and sit down and watch the news. Her eyelids would feel like weights and try to force her to fall back asleep. That situation has happened many times. The first time, being her daughter, Amelia, finding her face down on the floor and waking up to Amelia violently shaking her awake, nearly panicking.

Rosa cringed. That memory was pushed way back into her mind. Even the first time it happened had impeccable timing. She felt drained and numb after her husband died and she would feel so fatigued that she would fall asleep in the strangest of places. Whenever it happened, Amelia would panic and there were times she grabbed the phone to call for help. Rosa always managed to stop her and reassure her she was alright. From then on, Amelia always made sure that Rosa would get rest and feel energetic enough. Rosa appreciated it. Amelia and Alfred were very energetic and full of life even through hard times such as now.

But she still felt repentant over the fact she had to be looked after already. She was middle-aged, she felt fine despite being overly fatigued.

She made herself a second cup of tea and had half a scone. She never really ate breakfast but due to her daughter's persistent nagging about 'eating to get energy,' she didn't want to worry her so she ate something small every now and then in the morning.

She yawned loudly. Hearing cartoons playing in the background, she assumed Alfred was up. Surprised that he was awake at this hour, she walked to the living room and saw him sprawled out on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, focusing deeply on the television.

"Alfred, did you eat?"

Alfred didn't even turn his head and replied, "Yeah. Mom left waffles for me to toast."

Alfred always insisted on doing things himself to which Amelia complied. Rosa fretted over this, believing that six year olds shouldn't be handling everything on their own. They could accidentally hurt themselves! But Amelia, again, would reassure her that Alfred is a growing boy and is smart.

"Ah, alright," she said, groggily. _'At least he ate.'_

She sat down on a separate chair, watching the cartoon playing. She didn't understand what was happening but at least Alfred was enjoying himself. Eventually the show ended and announced another cartoon was going to play next.

"Ugh, boring," Alfred muttered and then reached for the remote. Rosa arched her eyebrows, Alfred growing bored of cartoons? They were just starting at this hour! The boy flipped channel through channel until a news station caught her attention.

"Wait, Al, go back."

"But I don't wanna watch the news."

"Just for one minute then you can watch all the cartoons you want."

Alfred grumbled in defeat and Rosa took control of the remote.

' _This just in, Police from New York City have reported the disappearance of twelve year old Emma Maes to be connected to the monthly kidnappings in populous cities across America. Emma Maes went missing on September 1_ _st_ _this month after she didn't return home from a friend's house. Police believe this is connected to the kidnapping of eight year old Emil Steilsson that happened last year also on September 1_ _st_ _in New York City when he didn't return home from school later that day.'_

Rosa had forgotten about the monthly kidnappings. Her co-workers would never stop talking about them and they still don't. Every first day of the month, somewhere in the United States, a child was reported missing. None of them were found and Rosa had believed ever since last year that the children were most likely dead. She hated to believe it, but it was evident to her.

' _Police across the nation are now suspecting these monthly kidnappings are connected. With this information, Police in Boston are preparing for October 1_ _st_ _to hopefully prevent another kidnapping. October 1_ _st_ _of last year, five year old Madeline Kirkland was kidnapped in the middle of the night from her Boston home. Police now inform parents with children ages five to twelve years old to be careful and not converse with strangers.'_

"About bloody time they start realizing they're all connected," Rosa grumbled. Almost everyone she had conversed with about this issue, they believed that the kidnappings were connected because of the continuity with the dates.

"Grandma?" Alfred asked, "Did they say Kirkland?"

Rosa froze. They did say Kirkland. She remembered Amelia insisting that it was a rather common name in the area. But that didn't stop Rosa from having a sickening feeling. "No wonder that name rings a bell…" she says, almost inaudibly.

Madeline Kirkland. The case went viral across the city but quickly stopped since the case swiftly turned cold. No evidence and the parents wished to keep their information disclosed. She wondered why for the longest time. Most people forgot about the case or never even heard of it since it happened all too quickly and became just another kidnapping.

"Grandma?"

"It can't be your teacher, Al," Rosa said. From Amelia's description of the man, he was young and single. There was no possible chance of him having a child.

Alfred stared at her in confusion, "Really?"

"Yes, Mr. Kirkland doesn't have a child I believe." Rosa said. She believed since Arthur was single and was interested in her daughter, he didn't have a child. Of course he didn't.

' _Then again,'_ she thought, _'Amelia does have a child and she's single.'_

Apprehension bubbled within her. Anyone could have looked at her daughter and would think the same thing, that she was young and single. Of course they wouldn't think she has a child! She's twenty-two, still very young.

"Alfred."

"What?"

"Don't bring this up with your teacher or anyone else. This is a very sensitive issue, alright?" Rosa explained, looking at her grandson gravely.

Knowing Alfred, she knew he can never read the mood. He smiled widely and said, "So never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever-"

"Speak about it, yes."

* * *

 _Saturday, 10:00 am_

The weekends were never quiet at the station. In all of her years working under the sheriff, she came to the conclusion that Saturdays were absolute hell. The phone would ring loudly every few minutes, she would have to send Matthew, bless his soul, out for coffee runs every few hours to try to keep herself sane and awake, and most of all she loathed dealing with difficult clients.

Matthew had just came back with two cups of coffee from a nearby Dunkin Donuts and Amelia sighed in pure bliss.

"Oh Mattie, you're my hero!" she practically moaned as she reached for her cup. Matthew rolled his eyes and resumed his work. Once she put her drink down on the counter, he nudged her.

"You owe me."

Amelia scoffed, "As if, plebian."

She almost didn't notice one of her co-workers swing bag her side of the desk. He leaned in slightly and pointed behind him, "Jones, Sheriff wants to speak with you."

Amelia grumbled and placed her papers to the side. What could Ludwig want from her? She hoped for a brief moment that it would be a raise. She muttered, "Be there in a minute." The co-worker left and then Amelia stood up.

Matthew glanced up at her, befuddled, "What does Ludwig want from you?"

She stared back at him, unreadable expression. "…Promotion?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, muttering, "As if."

"Rude. Anyway I'll be back," Amelia said, exiting the receptionist desk. She was well on her way until she ran back to the lobby and exclaimed, "Oh, and for payback for your lovely generosity of getting me coffee, you can take over my calls!"

She laughed to herself and left before she could see Matthew's reaction. Once she reached closer to the Sheriff's door, she changed to a more sophisticated pace. Once she arrived, she gently knocked on the door, making sure to not stain the glass separating them. She could see Ludwig consumed in his work, typing away.

"Come in," He announced.

Amelia slowly, gently opened the door, peaking her head out, "Sheriff, it's me."

Ludwig finally glanced up and nodded, eyes motioning to the seat in front of his desk. "Jones, take a seat."

She complied. As she was doing so, she wondered anxiously what he could possibly want from her. She remembered being incredibly intimidated by him when she was younger. However, she's known this man for so long, Ludwig was almost like a father figure to her. She never admitted it to him, since she thought it would be awkward for the both of them. Amelia wasn't as nervous as she was before, but the intimidation of him still existed within her, her heart hurting as a result. Finally, she asked, "What is it, sir?"

Ludwig was now paying his full attention to her, changing the direction of his chair towards her. He cleared his throat and said, "It's about your day off on the first."

Her heart had stopped. "Oh," was all she could muster at that moment.

"Jones, I respect your father, so much even. He and I have been friends for years. I know you want to pay your respects to him but…" Ludwig faltered. Amelia knew where this was going but she let him continue, "We really need you on the first. It's imperative."

She pursed her lips. She felt she was betraying her father at that moment by not being able to visit her father's grave. She inhaled deeply and asked, "Can I come in in the afternoon?"

Ludwig contemplated, his fingers massaging his chin. He turned his attention to the computer screen, most likely looking up the schedule. He hummed in understanding and looked back at her, "We'll see, I'll let you know. I just want you to know ahead of time."

"Why, though?"

"You've heard of the monthly kidnappings, ja?"

"Yes."

"All I can tell you is that we're expecting the FBI to be involved after the first. They may call before, during, or after the first of October. But I need nearly everyone on duty," Ludwig explained. Her interest peaked at the mention of the FBI. It was nearly every officer's dream to get into the FBI. Most of all, it was her late father's dream. The very fact the FBI was possibly going to investigate this national issue excited her, even the thought of them calling when she was working.

She wheezed, causing Ludwig to appear concerned. Before he could even ask, Amelia responded, meekly, "Oh geez, the FBI. It really has been a year."

"We're slowly getting more evidence." Ludwig stated subtly, "Anyway, Jones, I'll let you know of your schedule within a week. You're not the only one in this situation if that helps you."

Amelia nodded in understanding. She was hoping she would at least have a few hours to go over to the cemetery just to dedicate a half hour at least on the first. But now she couldn't decide to answer calls hoping to the almighty lord it was the FBI or paying respects to her father which she had been doing for the past several years.

' _How in hell am I going to tell mom?'_

* * *

 _Saturday, 6:30 pm_

"You can't do the first? All because of an expected phone call?"

Amelia could only nod, have her lips pursed, and appear just as irritated as her mother. She shrugged and turned to continue helping her mother with dinner to try to avoid further conflict. Eventually, she explained, "Ludwig is confused with everyone's schedules. He basically wants everyone on duty that day."

Rosa sighed noisily. Amelia flinched.

"This is about the monthly kidnappings isn't it?"

She nodded. "Yep."

Rosa muttered strings of words that were inaudible to Amelia. Rosa, in the midst of her suspected complaining, was cutting the vegetables rather violently. Amelia swallowed hard; her mother was terrifying when irritated. She wanted to tell her to ease herself but thought it was best to release her frustration. An awkward air filled the room for several, long moments that Amelia found deafening. Not just because of her mother's murderous actions towards the vegetables, but that her mother's irritation spoke for itself.

Amelia didn't know how to break the silence. That knife hitting the cut board stridently every second was going to make her annoyed as well.

Rosa halted momentarily.

"Speaking of which…" She started, "There was a short, but interesting report on it this morning."

Amelia, caught with interest, turned to face her, "Hm?"

Rosa bit her lip and resumed cutting, not harshly this time, and then softly said, "I'm sure you know since they mentioned the police department…"

Amelia scoffed, having no clue on what she was implying, and cried, "Mom, they say nothing to the receptionists except, like, 'oh these guys are gonna call. Expect the unexpected, Jones!' Bullshit like that, you know?"

Rosa made a noise, appearing somewhat surprised that she didn't know what she was implying. "Ah, well, anyways, you've heard of Emma Maes from, actually, exactly two weeks ago, right?"

"Yeah."

She stopped again and then glanced at Amelia, "They believe it's connected to the first kidnapping, Emil I think his name was."

Amelia's eyes widened with interest, "Oh boy."

"Now they think Madeline Kirkland is part of it, too."

Amelia visibly froze. Memories of the event and everyone's reactions to it came rushing back to her. Everything from how the station was handling it, how she was stuck with calls, how she was unbelievably protective of Alfred for months after. How could she have forgotten such a name?

 _Especially when she was saying and hearing it every day?_

"Wait, Kirkland?"

Rosa's eyebrows rose in astonishment. "You don't remember?"

"No, I do! It just never occurred to me until now."

"If you're thinking it's Arthur, I hardly believe it," Rosa stated.

Amelia was still left in shock. She knew there was a good handful of Kirklands even here in just the city of Boston, but the thought of the young girl belonging to Arthur sent her into this state of shock. "I know, but…god."

There was another pause, but more tense. The frying of the vegetables on the stove became inaudible and mixed with the silence when Amelia dove into deep thought. Madeline couldn't be Arthur's daughter; the man didn't even look like a father. She remembered exactly what the girl looked like after seeing the same picture over and over again, several times a day that month.

She didn't see any resemblance between Madeline and Arthur Kirkland. Therefore, in her belief, there was no chance of them being related in any way. Still, however, the chance of them being related bothered her even more. She knew he was enigmatic. It wasn't just that she barely knew him, but there was something uncanny of him and the image he presented himself.

Rosa brought her out of her thoughts.

"Amelia?" She asked, her voice mixed with concern, "Are you—Do you think it's okay to be doing this?"

"Doing what?" Amelia questioned, confused.

"I don't know…going out with Alfred's teacher?"

"Well—we're not exactly going out," She said quickly, almost sounding defensive, "This is just one date."

Rosa narrowed her eyes at her and then said, firmly, "I know, but I'm worried about the schoolboard finding out. I don't want you to get in trouble."

She reviled that glint in her eyes. Amelia felt small all over again.

"We'll be careful. Who knows I might not like him anyway," Amelia explained, shrugging, "It's what first dates are for."

There was that look again. Inside, she could feel anger was boiling in her stomach. Amelia believed that her mother needed to stop digging into her personal life over and over again.

"He's Alfred's teacher," Rosa asserted matter-of-factly, "What happens if you do like him, Amelia?"

Amelia shrugged, "I don't know. We can't assume or predict anything right now."

"Why are you assuming that Madeline is his daughter, then?" Rosa queried, her voice was increasing with volume.

Amelia nearly jumped at such a sudden question. She turned to fully face her mother, her eyes narrowed in confusion, "What the— Mom, just calm down."

Rosa suddenly flipped the vegetables in the pan aggressively, the sound of searing vegetables infiltrating everyone's ears. Then, Rosa shouted, "I can't because you thought the same with Davie too! You thought you wouldn't end up loving him and now look where you are!"

Everything went quiet and turned cold in that moment. For so long, neither Amelia nor Rosa dared to say _that_ name around each other. It didn't matter if it was said in a positive way; Amelia couldn't handle hearing it either way. Amelia stared at her, shocked, horrified, and livid. She balled her fists and slammed her fist on the counter, grunting in pain.

Rosa quickly turned the stove off and raised her hands in defense, "Wait, Amelia—I—"

Amelia held up a hand, not looking at her, and said, "Just—I'm done. Good night. I don't need to eat."

Neither of them said anything more to each other. Amelia left the room and slammed her door upstairs, loudly, to announce that she was mad and needed to be alone. Rosa drew out a long, heavy sigh and buried her head into her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. She admitted she let this happen just because she let her emotions get the best of her.

She let her hands fall down her face. That is, until, she saw Alfred poking his head out of the corner of the kitchen wall. Rosa lightly gasped.

"Alfred, how long have you been there?"

"For a few minutes…" Alfred said, meekly, "Am I in trouble?"

Alfred appeared so genuinely dejected that Rosa felt even worse.

"No. No you're not. Just, whatever you heard, please keep it as a secret between your family, okay?" She said, hoping for an approval from the boy. She didn't know how honest and secretive he could be. Children these days were much more honest in her eyes.

"Okay…" Alfred mumbled. He shuffled in closer in the kitchen, keeping his voice low in case Amelia was hearing, "Is mommy mad?"

Rosa nodded, "At me, yes."

"Why?"

"I've said mean things to her and it made her very upset."

"Why did you say mean things to her?"

She sighed quietly and scratched her head. "I don't know, Alfred, I don't know. Grandma is very upset, too."

Alfred then took a seat next to the counter top, letting his head rest on the palms of his hands. He scanned the kitchen, appearing as if he didn't know what to say. Rosa believed the situation was too mature for him, he wouldn't understand. She hoped that the boy wouldn't go around the school and announce what he heard his family argue about. They would get into all sorts of trouble.

"Grandma?" Alfred suddenly questioned, "Who's Davie?"

Rosa's heart stopped. She could hear the blood rushing and her mind rushed for an answer to give to the boy other than the truth. If she told him the truth, Amelia would never forgive her and she didn't even want to know how Alfred would react.

"He's an old friend of your mother's," She said simply, hoping that answer alone would satisfy Alfred.

Of course it wouldn't.

"Did she love him?"

"She did, very much so."

"Where's Davie now?"

Rosa wanted to end this conversation, but she knew Alfred wouldn't be sated until he got some sort of answer. She pursed her lips and looked away, finding food resting on the stove. She hatched an idea.

"…Away," She said firmly yet quickly. Then, in attempt to change the subject, she pointed to the stove behind her and asked, "Alfred, are you hungry?"

Alfred frowned and raised his hand slightly, "But, what does away mean—"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah…?"

"Dinner's ready. Eat and let's do your homework, alright?"

She hoped Alfred would never speak or ask of it again. It was just a family secret and nothing more. At least, that's also what she anticipated.

* * *

 _Monday, 7:30 am_

Arthur deliberately took Eliza's request. He admitted he was too indolent to shave every once in a while but he thought to himself that little kids wouldn't want to see their teacher looking 'scruffy,' or anyone in that matter.

He yawned loudly as he unlocked his classroom door. He didn't know what was keeping him awake, his tea in his hand or the constant reminder he would have to be enthusiastically peppy in front of his students every day.

He loved teaching, he really did. In fact, he believed he was a born mentor. But he wasn't intending to teach young children for the rest of his life. He wanted to teach in a university but he guessed that small steps mattered most. He enjoyed little ones. Yet, over the past year, it proved a toll on him.

Arthur ran his hand down his face, relishing in the now smooth skin but also trying to keep himself awake. He placed his tea on his desk and a neon yellow post-it caught his attention.

' _Here's Amelia's number! Sorry I forgot to give it to you on Friday! Btw, she knows so she won't believe you're creepy by suddenly knowing her number! Hehe!_

 _Daisy'_

The hand-writing was incredibly neat and feminine, he applauded her for that. She always signed her name with a heart next to it and a smiley face too. Arthur stared at the number that was written under her name. He suddenly grew uneasy. He absolutely despised texting anyone first, initiating in general.

He turned the post it over, just in case if there was anything else. He knew the Italian woman was sneaky. He was right, there was more writing.

' _P.S. I know you won't text her first because you're Arthur hehe. So here's a reminder to tell you to stop being such a wimp and talk to her already!'_

' _P.S.S. Also don't be a creep. But don't just say hey. That's boring!'_

Arthur briefly wondered how much writing she could fit on a single post it note, but she did it. He narrowed his eyes in utter embarrassment. He felt like he was being treated like a child. For one, he totally knew how to flirt. He just didn't do it for the past few years since he was focused on his career and…

Arthur glanced at the picture of the young girl on his desk. He then looked back to the post-it note, filled to the brim with information. He wondered what mattered most to him. His friends, his co-workers, were immensely supportive of him, especially this past year. He knew they wanted the best for him, but he couldn't decide what mattered most, to move on or to stay where he was.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He grumbled and read the screen.

 **New Text Message:** Daisy V

"Bloody hell, Daisy, I'm this close to blocking you."

 **Daisy V:** _Before u read, u better have read the post it on ur desk. I went thru hell and back to try to enter your classroom but I did it in the end! Don't ask hehe. Ok anyway, continuing on since post it notes are tiny, I have more to add. Just one little thing. Stop moping. I know it's hard. But be happy for once. Go on a few dates. Idk do stuff that makes you happy! Anything! We're tired of seeing you so sad! It makes me sad : (! Treat yourself!_

 _Received at 7:35 am_

Arthur couldn't help but feel just a smidge irritated by how insistent his friends were being. They didn't know what personal hell he has been going through this entire time. They only understood very little. It sounded like to him they wanted him to forget, but he just couldn't. Yet, he knew that they were right. He knew he was being a downer and antisocial for years even.

He glanced at the picture again. The young girl was smiling warmly and her eyes were so vibrant and innocent. He could never let go of his happiness. But he realized that just maybe he needed to start moving on. He can never forget her but his friends were right. He'll treat himself more often.

With a sudden rush of confidence, he turned his attention back to his phone. He entered Amelia's number and started a message.

 **Me:** _Amelia, it's Arthur. Daisy gave me your number. How are you?_

He could feel Eliza and Daisy judging his message and saying that it was incredibly boring. Well it was a start.

He placed his phone down on his desk, not expecting a reply so soon. He sat down and grabbed his cup of tea. He was about to look at his agenda for the day when his phone vibrated on his desk, loudly. He nearly dropped his tea right then and there but saved himself. He hoped for a moment it was just Daisy being insistent again.

No, it was Amelia. Amelia F. Jones. Just his luck.

He then realized the time. It was extremely early. Seven in the morning wasn't even early to him, he was used to it. But what was seven in the morning like to Amelia? Did he wake her up?

' _God dammit, Arthur, you need to stop being so bloody stupid.'_

He opened the text, somewhat relieved to see her reply.

 **Amelia J:** _Arthur! U almost gave me a heart attack with your txt haha!_

He wondered if this was Daisy in disguise. They acted like each other too much. Her texting was absolutely atrocious, too. Then again, she still was very young. At the thought of that, he felt dirty. This woman was twenty-two and he was thirty. Why he was doing this still? He didn't know.

 **Amelia J:** _If u must kno im tired. Work yknow?_

 **Amelia J:** _I was going to give u my number but Daisy beat me to it!_

 _Received at 7:40 am_

Amelia texted a mile a minute. She must be really bored or slacking off work, Arthur concluded. He thought how he should end the conversation, since he would have to teach soon. He knew she would understand but he didn't want to be rude and end it so suddenly.

 **Me:** _Good to know it's the right number. Daisy loves to pull pranks on us often so we never know._

 **Me:** _I hate to say this but I do have to teach soon. So, sorry if I don't reply fast enough._

 _Read at 7:42 am_

 **Amelia J:** _Arthur its totally fine. I would of known anyway_

 **Amelia J:** _Cant wait for Friday tho! We'll figure out a place l8r_

 _Received at 7:43 am_

Arthur felt himself get warm and tense up. Was Amelia flirting or just being nice? Now he couldn't tell. However, he was still surprised at how fast she texted back and even how fast she typed.

 **Me:** _Thank you. I'll talk to you later._

He turned his phone on silent and placed face down in order to not be distracted. His students would be filing in soon, ready for the new day and lessons. He reviewed his agenda and lessons until students came in, talking and laughing with each other. He noticed Alfred in the front laughing with Ivan. Arthur thought those two were incredibly strange. Just over a week ago they were fighting and now they were laughing like they had been friends since they were newborns.

He remembered Friday and his picture. The boy was so naïve, so clueless. Arthur didn't know why he felt so uneasy around the young boy. He even felt uncomfortable around Amelia despite seeing her in person rarely. The two were very strange and unsettling. Alfred glanced at him, smiling his infamous thousand-watt smile and waved. Arthur smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. In the edge of his eyesight, he spotted the picture of the young girl once more.

He wondered, briefly, if moving on he was really the right thing to do.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Emma Maes: Belgium

Emil Steilsson: Iceland

Madeline Kirkland: Fem!Canada

Davie: Y'all know who he is.

We're finally getting to the main plot and oh man I'm so excited to show you guys. I just love having everything planned out and then keeping people on edge. Love it. Some of you may have noticed there's not much Alfred in this but don't worry there's going to be a lotttt more Alfred involvement _very_ soon. One thing left to wonder is if it's for a good or bad thing : )

Otherwise, school and work have been keeping me busy. Especially with college apps, updates are going to be slow. But I'm definitely not abandoning any of my stories. I'll finish them as time goes.

Thank you all so much for the support! I love reading your reviews and feedback is much appreciated.


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